SAFARI CHANGES WHEN YOU STEP OUT

Inside a safari vehicle, even an elephant can eventually feel strangely approachable.

Step onto the ground and perspective returns very quickly.

A giraffe in the distance suddenly looks enormous. An antelope noticing you becomes interesting. The crack of a branch somewhere beyond the trees gets everyone’s attention.

Walking puts you back into the landscape.

You are no longer looking down into the wilderness.

You are standing inside it.

LEARN TO READ THE GROUND

The best walking safaris aren’t simply game drives without the vehicle.

Your guide begins revealing a language written across the landscape.

A footprint tells you who passed.

Dung tells another story.

A damaged tree can reveal where elephants have been feeding.

Feathers, bones, plants, insects and alarm calls all become pieces of information.

Things that might receive two seconds of attention from a vehicle can become the most fascinating part of the morning.

Because out here, the small things explain the big ones.

IT ISN’T ABOUT GETTING CLOSE

Walking safaris should never be marketed as a way to get dangerously close to large animals.

Quite the opposite.

Good walking is about awareness, distance and respect.

Routes and encounters depend on the destination, wildlife conditions and guidance of the professional leading the walk. If an animal needs space, it gets space.

The thrill doesn’t come from breaking that boundary.

It comes from understanding why it exists.

WHERE CAN YOU WALK?

Walking experiences vary considerably between Tanzania’s protected areas, concessions and private reserves.

Depending on the itinerary and current regulations, Wildpack can incorporate guided walks into destinations such as Arusha National Park, Tarangire and selected wilderness areas elsewhere in Tanzania.

Some walks are relatively short additions to a safari day.

Others can become a much deeper wilderness experience.

We choose the location based on what you actually want from the walk, not simply where there happens to be a gap in the itinerary.

ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK

START WILD.

Arusha National Park is one of our favourite places to introduce walking into a northern Tanzania journey.

Beneath Mount Meru, forest and open landscapes support giraffes, buffalo, warthogs, monkeys and abundant birdlife.

A guided walk here can work beautifully at the beginning of a longer safari.

Tomorrow you can chase horizons in the Serengeti.

Today, learn how to notice a footprint.

WHAT DOES A WALKING SAFARI FEEL LIKE?

Quieter than you expect.

Then louder.

Without the engine running, you begin hearing everything that was there all along.

Birds.

Wind moving through grass.

Footsteps.

Your guide speaking quietly.

And occasionally something large moving somewhere you cannot quite see.

There is a different kind of attention when you’re on foot.

You don’t need constant wildlife sightings.

The landscape itself keeps you occupied.

WHO IS IT FOR?

Walking safaris are particularly rewarding for travellers who want to slow their journey down and experience something beyond conventional game drives.

You don’t necessarily need to be an athlete. The physical demands depend on the particular walk, terrain, weather and duration.

But you do need curiosity.

If you enjoy understanding why an animal is somewhere rather than simply photographing it, you’ll probably enjoy being on foot.

WALKING SAFARIS WITH WILDPACK

We’ll still take you on game drives.

We’ll still look for lions.

We’ll still stop when somebody spots an elephant.

But somewhere along the journey, turn the engine off.

Open the door.

Put your boots on the ground.

Because Tanzania looks enormous through a window.

It feels even bigger when you’re walking through it.